Words And Words Are All We Have!

After watching Sex and the City, a lot of people wanted to get into the business of PR taking inspiration from the iconic fictional character of Samantha Jones. She definitely put PR on the charts by being the most independent, sassy and social amongst her circle. People wanted to be like her, vicariously wanting to live the ‘PR life’, without any knowledge of what PR entails from an individual.

Having been in the oh-so-fascinating PR industry for a mere 4 years, I have come to terms with being aware of absolutely everything that happens around us, the good, bad and the ugly. Anticipation is the key. Sure, you get to meet some interesting specimens. But even to sustain productive business, impactful conversations with them can be a task.

Sustenance in the PR field revolves around being good listeners and conversationalists. Understanding a client’s tangible and intangible sides of business, what appeals to them culturally and their business ethos is what sets the best amongst us from the rest amongst us. This is why we must get our ‘listening’ act together. Unlike any other business functions like IT, Finance, Engineering, Customer Support or HR – we (have to?) know so much more about everything. Well, we won’t know much about the intricacies of the semiconductor chip in the latest Macbook, but then again, if that is what drove us, we would’ve chosen a different way to make a living.

We focus on the ‘software’ of the product. For example, not everyone knows how a light bulb is made, but we all do know what it’s used for. This curiosity allows us to know all the information which helps us to make a comprehensive diagnosis of the problem and provide efficient communications to position our client’s light-bulb as the best in the market. We call ourselves excellent communicators because we know exactly what needs to be communicated and which medium to choose to tell that story. You know what this also makes us? Innovators! Our challenge is to figure out how to tell new stories every day. There is so much information in our mind-ware that there is immense enthusiasm when it comes to planning campaigns. Can you imagine the adrenaline rush we go through when the event is getting closer and when we see our brilliant ideas being executed? It definitely is one of those feelings which cannot be put in words.

Ever attended a party and been able to juggle conversations ranging between Donald Trump and Sarahah? Or debate peers and colleagues with the best policy changes our country needs to the latest Game of Thrones plot twist? Good storytelling revolves around keeping your horizons infinitely expanding. You have to be able to create content and context for everything ranging from post-heartbreak healing to a company getting its fourth round of VC funding! While our industry makes us popular people to be around, this is a real business impacting trait to possess. There, you have it. If you come across a PR professional, it will be safe to know that the person has a vast reservoir of knowledge and opinions. ‘Cause you know what? We gain insights and we know things! *cheers*